So what the heck did I just pick up?

[Bob Rosenbloom]

On 8/30/2019 7:24 PM, John Ames via cctech wrote:
> Ran into this at the electronics-surplus store just down the way from
> my workplace and grabbed it on the cheap. I don't actually know what
> it *is,* but the labels on the switches make it look a *hell* of a lot
> like a 16-bit general-purpose computer of some kind. Despite the
> claims of being "microprocessor-controlled," I looked at every board
> inside the thing and couldn't spot anything that looked like a 16-bit
> or even 8-bit CPU. Genuinely curious what this is, but I can't find
> much on it online - the name pops up in a few archived documents, but
> Bitsavers doesn't have anything for the company. Though the design is
> attributed to Stanley Kubota and Edward Corby - looks like Mr. Kubota
> still has an online presence at https://www.exsellsales.com/about-us/
> so I'll have to drop them a line...
>
> Anybody heard of or encountered one of these before?
>
> http://www.commodorejohn.com/whatsit-front.jpg
> http://www.commodorejohn.com/whatsit-back.jpg
>

It's a piece of test equipment that generates bit patterns. The 
connectors on the back go to pods that
output different logic levels like TTL or ECL. I used one to generate 
test patterns for testing parallel
loaded video DAC's.

It could be programmed to loop through sections of data loaded into it's 
internal memory and
respond to input bits to change what it's outputting.

It's main use was for testing IEEE 488 interfaces, but could be used as 
a general purpose data
and timing generator.

Bob

-- 
Vintage computers and electronics
www.dvq.com
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